Managing and Using Information Systems: A Strategic Approach

“Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don't think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.”—Bill Gates, Microsoft

Exploit the potential of technology for competitive advantage in business

Information systems are at the heart of virtually every business interaction, process, and decision, especially given the vast penetration of the Web in the last few years. Like previous editions, this fourth edition of Managing and Using Information Systems by Pearlson and Saunders gives you the foundation to become a knowledgeable participant in information systems decisions and to manage information for competitive advantage.

In a departure from earlier editions, this new edition includes ideas that impact the new generation of “digital natives”—managers who are at home in the digital world and expect to leverage in their business lives the technologies they depend on for social interaction, collaboration, and innovation.

Brief, yet complete, this text provides a basic framework for understanding the relationships among business strategy, information systems, and organizational strategies. You’ll learn how IT relates to organizational design and business strategy. Most of all, you’ll develop the skill to recognize opportunities in the work environment and to apply what you know in innovative ways.

Whether you’re coming from IS or the business management side, Managing and Using Information Systems, Fourth Edition will give you a valuable grasp of how technologies affect business decisions, so you can grab every opportunity for business success.

This new Fourth Edition includes:

A new chapter on sourcing to make the material more relevant

New introductory cases that highlight how the information is applied in the field

Updated “Food for Thought” sections that focus on current topics

The latest information, including a new focus on Web 2.0, a new framework of managerial levers, and a new discussion on collaboration

Updated examples and new end of chapter cases offering a global outlook and a new focus on managing IT projects